Bill de Blasio, the twice elected though not hugely popular Mayor of New York, has become the umpteenth Democrat to put his name forward for the presidential nomination.

Born 8 May 1961 7.03 pm New York, he is a Sun Mercury in Taurus; with his Sun in a maverick square to Uranus and widely trine a practical Saturn in Capricorn; with a Fixed T Square of Mars in flamboyant Leo opposition Jupiter in Aquarius square Neptune in Scorpio. He has stamina and endurance, is stubborn, can be evasive with such a strong Neptune.

He looks totally jammed up and frustrated over coming months with his Solar Arc Pluto square his Mars, exact in six months, and taking time to wind down on the far side of that.

But for all that he’s looking quite chipper at points with tr Uranus conjunct his Mars/Jupiter midpoint this month, and square his Jupiter July to September which brings lucky breaks; and that latter influence repeats through 2020 and is exact for a final time over the 2021 Inauguration. I’d reckon the Mars Pluto would knock him out and he was always a long shot anyway. But he’s definitely pleased about something and there are some fair winds blowing behind him at points.

Pic: Kevin Case.

Another country sinking into a political morass is Australia up for electoral grabs this weekend. The incumbent PM Scott Morrison leads a coalition split by infighting and the opposition, who used to be ahead in the polls, now sliding back to be neck and neck, with the Murdoch press making an ill judged and tasteless attack on Bill Shorten, the not-very-popular opposition leader’s deceased mother.

Both are Sun Taurus with the tr Saturn Pluto trine give or take a degree or two. Scott Morrison, 13 May 1968 has a weighed-down tr Saturn trine Pluto; a couple of minor transiting Jupiter uplifts and a devastating tr Pluto square his Neptune/Pluto picking up in the final ten days of this month.

Bill Shorten, 12 May 1967, has tr Saturn trine his Sun and Uranus which could be stabilising and progressive; and does have his Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct his Pluto which is definitely good news and it moves on to conjunct his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint and then Pluto over the next couple of years which all looks successful. But he’s also got tr Saturn opposing his Sun/Uranus and then Sun/Pluto through this month which looks stuck now and in the aftermath with a nerve wracked tr Uranus opposition his Mars/Neptune picking up later this month.

So the usual hotch potch. If anything Shorten has more pluses.

Alabama, has approved the most far-reaching effort in the USA this year to curb abortion rights in all cases including rape and incest, except where the mother’s life is at serious risk. It criminalizes the procedure for doctors, who could be charged with felonies and face up to 99 years in prison. It now moves to the desk of the female Republican Governor who is expected to support it. Opponents have vowed to challenge the measure in federal court if it becomes law. But it’s being seen as the first shot across the bows of Roe v Wade with Brett Kavanaugh now on the Supreme Court.

Alabama, 14 December 1819, was a former slave state, known as the “cotton state” and until relatively recently still had Jim Crow legislation to disenfranchise African-American residents, so it’s pretty died-in-the-wool dinosaur territory.

No surprises it became a state when a repressive Saturn Pluto was in place in Pisces square the Sagittarius Sun Uranus Neptune and trine the Scorpio Moon – bleak, unyielding, cold-hearted, fanatical, violent, power hungry.

It looks on edge (which could be for any number of reasons) come June this year with tr Uranus square its Mars, repeating into 2020; and is on a swampy Neptunian slide downhill from 2021 onwards for several years as tr Neptune squares the Sun and is then square Uranus and conjunct Saturn and Pluto till the mid 2020s.  Neptunian can be healing, will certainly soften or at least undermine the state’s rigid defences.

One of the orchestrators of this move is Eric Johnston of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition, 22 January 1948 St Louis, Missouri.  Unsurprisingly he’s also got a Saturn Pluto conjunction in his case the leading planets of an ideologically driven Air Grand Trine of Mercury in Aquarius trine Neptune trine a Gemini Moon, formed into a Kite.

His high hopes look dashed in 2020/2021 (again could be for any number of reasons) as tr Neptune squares his Jupiter; and that is followed by a series of major setback Solar Arcs through till 2022/23.

NB: To be noted. Appalling though the Alabama vote has been, even if enacted, it isn’t as draconian as the Northern Ireland abortion laws which are a total obscenity.

ROE V WADE Post: NOVEMBER 14 2016 Roe versus Wade which was the landmark US ruling asserting a woman’s right to have an abortion up to the time of foetal viability was agreed on 22 January 1973. It now looks to be at risk of being overturned with a new pro-life (and pro-gun!) right-wing administration.

There is concern writ large on this chart at the moment from tr Saturn conjunct the Mars exactly now and tr Neptune square the Saturn and Mars through 2017/2019. 2018/19 look to be the danger points with ferocious argument from tr Uranus square Uranus in 2018 as well as a disappointing Solar Arc Neptune conjunct Jupiter; and then in 2019 a ‘shocking’ Solar Arc Mars conjunct the Sun as well as a disruptive upheaval from tr Pluto square the Uranus. If it is was ever going to be overturned this looks like the time  – though it did survive through the early 1990s triple conjunction in Capricorn. But this looks if anything more serious.  Saturn Pluto in Capricorn’s repressive and heavily masculine energies may just do it.

Princess Martha Louise of Norway, divorced and fourth in line of succession to the throne, has caused a flutter of excitement amongst Royal watchers by taking up with an American shaman, Durek Verrett, as a boyfriend.  He was raised in California and has had Gwyneth Paltrow amongst his clients, though caused some controversy by professing to cure cancer and reverse ageing. Martha Louise has always been interested in alternative healing and clairvoyance.

She was born 22 September 1971 5.07 pm Oslo, Norway, and has an intense other-worldly Sun Pluto in Virgo in the 8^th with Venus, Uranus and a Scorpio Moon also in the 8^th – so no surprises she wants to be connected to realms beyond reality. She’s also got a rather wobbly, neurotic, up-and-down Saturn in Gemini opposition Neptune Jupiter in Sagittarius.

Her new beau, 17 November 1974, California, is an intense and charming Sun Venus in Scorpio; with a determined and secretive Mars Mercury also in Scorpio and a (wide) healing though not necessarily practical Water Grand Trine of Jupiter in Pisces trine Saturn in Cancer trine Mercury Mars.

His Scorpio planets will match her need for depth with a her strong 8^th house; and his Pluto is conjunct her Venus for a spark of passion. But it’s not really a great mix with her contrary Mars in Aquarius clashing with his Mars.

Their relationship chart has a needs-space composite Sun Uranus; with an adventurous Uranus square Jupiter; and an unkind-treatment and one-sided composite Mars opposition Saturn.

Methinks it won’t be around for ever.

Princess Pic: Frankie Fouganthin

Jeremy Kyle, a UK tabloid talk show host has seen his highly popular series, which has run since 2005, cancelled indefinitely following the death by suicide of a guest after an as-yet un-broadcast item. The show is based on confrontations in which guests attempt to resolve issues with their significant others. During a prosecution after a violent incident on a former show, a District Judge called it “human bear-baiting”.

Kyle born 7 July 1965, is a Sun Cancer in a Water Grand Trine to Neptune in Scorpio trine Saturn in Pisces, formed into a Kite by Saturn opposition Pluto Uranus in Virgo and square Jupiter in Gemini. A complicated individual – highly strung with so many Mutable planets and expansive, over-confident with a focal point Jupiter, not always realistic with a Water Grand Trine, a pusher of boundaries and a destabiliser with driving planets Pluto Uranus. Plus an intense Scorpio Moon.

This year’s Eclipses were always going to upset his applecart with the January Capricorn Solar Eclipse at the same degree and opposition his Sun; and the July Cancer Eclipse is conjunct his Sun.  Tr Neptune is also conjunct his Saturn and square his Jupiter, not exact, but around this year and returning from mid August and into 2020 – which is undermining. His Solar Arc Uranus Pluto opposition Saturn may also be colliding with his Moon.

He’s very unlike the original USA tabloid talk show host, Jerry Springer, 13 February 1944 11.45pm London, England, whose chart is mainly communicative Air with a dash of attention-demanding Fire. He’s a Sun Aquarius in an Air Grand Trine to a Libra Moon trine Saturn in Gemini, formed into a Kite by Sun opposition Jupiter in flamboyant Jupiter in Leo. He’s got a seond Air Grand Trine of Neptune trine Mercury in Aquarius trine Uranus in Gemini, formed into a Kite by Mercury opposition influential, leadership-ability 10^th house Pluto North Node in Leo. So much less emotional than Kyle, though the show ran along the same lines featuring fighting between guests. Springer’s Mars is conjunct Uranus and one side and Saturn on the other, sextile Pluto and trine both Neptune and Moon so again completely different

Tit-for-tat increases in trade tariffs between Beijing and Washington have sent the Dow Jones into a screaming slide downwards and alarmed even Republican politicians with agricultural voters. The Washington Post announced that Trump ‘has no idea what he’s doing’ and said this was just his standard technique when nearing completion on a deal, which was expected in this case, to try to extract better terms. Except China is the wrong target to pick for idiotic games. And even Fox News’s Chris Wallace debunked Trump’s falsehood that these tariffs were a charge against China, by getting economic adviser Larry Kudlow to admit that China is not paying the tariffs. In fact, they amount to a tax on U.S. consumers.

There’s no doubt that China, even more than Iran, is Trump’s toxic hotspot. Relocating his chart there puts his bombastic, aggressive Mars in Leo in the 7^th and his Pluto conjunct the Descendant from the 6^th; and his Jupiter and Neptune in the 8^th, suggestive of financial high hopes that run to over confidence. His relationship chart with China is grimly hostile (couldn’t be worse) with a composite Pluto, Sun, Saturn, Mars conjunction – and that isn’t ever going to sort.

Trump’s Administration chart has a financially unlucky (or self-defeating) 8^th house Saturn square Mars Venus with the financial Venus conjunct Neptune.  Plus a massively over-pushy, law-unto-himself Jupiter opposition Uranus square Pluto which is being amplified by tr Pluto closing aspects to exact over the rest of this year and next. Pluto Jupiter especially can lead to conflicts with authorities because of a tendency to assume rules, regulations and laws can be ignored for self-centred reasons.

The NY Stock Exchange 17 May 1792 11.30 am has tr Neptune opposition the Mars picking up for the first time on May 1^st, running on and off till late 2020, which is a classic negative for ambitions and money, bringing panicky failure. This first exact aspect sticks around till mid August. The Dow Jones, 26 May 1896 8.11 am NY, has a couple of car-crash and heavily restrictive Solar Arcs – Sun opposition Mars, and Saturn square Pluto – just over the exact aspect at the moment but still in effect for several months. With a couple of disaster-prone transits to midpoints running till late 2020.

It’s not that China don’t need reined in from their multifarious sharp practices but a blundering elephant ain’t going to get results.

Dear Lord, if I’m very good, can you please sort out politics everywhere and bring more interesting and uplifting happenings.

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Ruth Westheimer, the sex therapist and media personality is still going strong as she nears 91. She’s the subject of a new documentary, Ask Dr Ruth, with a European premiere at Sundance Film Festival London later this month; then off to Japan, back to Oxford to debate pornography, her annual trip to Switzerland, where she spent the war in an orphanage, and Israel. She has a teaching schedules at Hunter and Columbia universities in New York, a column for Time, an upcoming children’s book, and a new edition of her bestselling guide, Sex for Dummies and her work for Jewish Heritage.

Born 4 June 1928 4am Karlstadt, Germany, she was sent to Switzerland after her father was arrested on Kristallnacht in 1939 and she never saw either of her parents again. She became a sniper in Palestine after the war, was injured, moved to France to study psychology and thence to the USA. She’s been married three times with two children.

She has an exuberant and multi-tasking Sun, North Node and Venus in Gemini on her Ascendant. Her Sun opposes Saturn Moon in Sagittarius giving her a work ethic and a drive to communicate her knowledge. Her upfront Mars in Aries is in an uncompromising conjunction with Uranus and is in a hard-edged trine to her Moon Saturn as well as a challenging square to Pluto – not an easy life or experiences.  Her Mercury in emotional Cancer is in an outspoken square to Uranus and an argumentative square to Mars which would help when talking about sex was not as well accepted as it is nowadays.

She also has a wide inspirational, entrepreneurial and attention-demanding Fire Grand Trine of Jupiter in Aries trine Neptune trine her Moon.

Oddly enough for a life and career very much focussed on sex she has no Earth planets – 6 Fire, two Air, 2 Water. Freud had four planets in Taurus including his Sun. But her contribution was obviously a ‘heady’ one primarily as a communicator.

Ben Shapiro, the American right-wing political commentator, had a well-publicized spat on air with interviewer Andrew Neil last week and stomped off in the huff. He’s not that well known to Brits but in the US he has more than 2 million Twitter followers, 600,000 YouTube subscribers, and his videos rack up millions of views.

Born 15 January 1984 12.57pm Burbank, California, he was a precocious student, becoming the youngest nationally syndicated columnist at 17. His views are the usual toxic and erratic pot-pourri of the conservatives – against abortion even for rape and incest; against gun law reform, off the wall about transgender and same sex marriage, as well as views on racism and Muslims. He was editor-at-large of Breitbart News until he fell out with them in 2016. He wasn’t for Trump.

He has the usual ‘shock jock’ enraged Mars Pluto conjunction in his case in Scorpio sextile an intense 8^th house Mercury in Capricorn and Neptune Jupiter in Sagittarius. So he packs a fair punch behind his angry words. His changeable Gemini Moon opposes Uranus and Venus in Sagittarius which will exacerbate his tendency to swing around emotionally. His Moon is also a singleton and conjunct the North Node so he is designed for a public career with an appreciative audience.

His opinionated 9^th house Sun is unaspected, making him an independent spirit, an-island-unto-himself type, with high self-esteem and fairly self-centred.

His Mars Pluto is moving by Solar Arc to conjunct his Uranus in late 2022/23 which will be hugely disruptive for him on the relationship front but also in terms of his relationship with the public. He’ll switch tack in 2020/21 with tr Uranus square his midheaven but looks as if he’ll be around in a high-profile capacity for at least another decade. Although 2020/21 will be challenging with tr Pluto conjunct his Sun as well as tr Saturn at the start of 2020.

Andrew Neil, with whom he crossed swords, is a British journalist, former editor of the Sunday Times and an executive on Sky TV, now chairman of the right-wing Spectator magazine, amongst others and presenter of BBC political TV programmes. Born 21 May 1949 9.45am Paisley, Scotland, he’s a stubborn final degree Sun Taurus square Saturn in Leo; with a fearsomely determined Mars in Taurus square Pluto; with his Sun and Venus in Gemini trine a lucky Jupiter in Aquarius. He has stamina and staying power with so many Fixed planets and is a formidable opponent in discussions.

His Mars in Taurus square Pluto clashes with Shapiro’s Saturn in Scorpio so it was never going to be sweetness and light. And Shapiro’s equally trenchant and hostile Mars Pluto squares Neil’s Leo Ascendant which would also raise hackles on both sides.

Uber, the transportation network, had a disappointing launch on the New York Stock Exchange yesterday but no one seems overly worried given that Facebook also slid when first traded. The company has lived through multiple scandals and running criticism but appears to be holding firm.

The co-founder Travis Kalanick resigned in 2017 over the climate of sexual harassment within the firm but remains a large shareholder and board member.

He looks less than delirious at the moment with his Solar Arc Saturn conjunct his Mars and the next several years look like a bumpy ride though he has fingers in various pies so it may not all be Uber. He looks exceptionally successful financially in 2022/2023 from tr Pluto trine his Jupiter.

The CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, born 28 May 1969 in Teheran, looks tense and irritable this year with tr Uranus conjunct his Saturn in Taurus, but is forging ahead confidently in 2020/21 with tr Pluto trine his Jupiter/Pluto midpoint and even more so come 2021/2022 with tr Pluto trine his Jupiter, so presumably it’ll all come right given time.

Though the original company chart, 1 May 2009 looks swampy and undermined in this year and next with tr Neptune opposition the Saturn; and still wobbling in 2022/23 with tr Neptune conjunct its Uranus.